| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Jackson, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Webster-Jackson Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, November 24, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Mine was the second car in the lot across from the trailhead, this morning. There were about a half dozen more cars when I returned at 830am. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The little crossings are partly or completely iced over, and the ice is relatively stable. All are easy. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are two blowdowns. One is approximately 0.2 miles above the Elephant Head trail, and therefore really close to the trailhead. It is an interesting pileup of two trees (one coniferous) lying basically parallel to the trail. So the trunks are not a problem but the limbs are a problem. A hand saw would do just fine.
The second is about 150’ above the junction of the Webster branch, on the Jackson branch. It is at least 18” diameter lying crosswise and is an easy stepover. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None today. |
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 | Bugs: |
:) |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing today. |
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 | Comments: |
I hiked Jackson for sunrise and got super lucky - there was just enough cloud cover for fabulous color, just enough snow cover for beautiful white contrast, and an incredibly photogenic grey jay that watched the sunrise as well. The vast majority of the trail is that concrete superhighway (ie packed powder) that we all love. Microspikes are essential as there is a good bit of ice. I wore mine for the whole hike, and note that exposed rocks are minimal so they didn’t take too much of a beating. The scrambly bits (the last 0.1 miles to the summit) were more packed snow than ice, so less unnerving than usual, for me.
This is my second sunrise on Jackson; I like to watch from a ledge about 100’ south down the Webster Cliff trail because it has a nice eastern view, and is protected from the north and western wind.
There was one other sunrise hiker, today, and we had a nice chat about all of the typical things hikers talk about … and, of course, about the tragedy on Franconia Ridge. Prayers for that young lady’s family.
Happy Thanksgiving and stay safe out there, folks. |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-11-24 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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